This text illustrates the critical vision of Brazilian historian Clarival do Prado Valladares (1918–1983)on African art from the sixties—the decade when many African countries gained independence and began to establish the parameters of their identity and of colonialism. In 1966, do Prado Valladares participated in the First World Festival of Black Arts in Dakar, the capital of Senegal, as a member of the jury in the prize in the visual arts granted at the event (prizes were given in a number of different categories). In this text, do Prado Valladares defends mestizaje as a possible solution to racial segregation and as one of the contributions of Brazilian culture.
Clarival do Prado Valladares is a pioneering figure in the historical construction of the arts in northeastern Brazil, mainly in places, such as his native state of Bahía, where black culture is central. For other texts by Clarival do Prado Valladares, see “Agnaldo Manoel dos Santos: origin, revelation and death of a primitive sculptorm,” coauthored with Russell G. Hamilton (doc. no. 1110478); “Arte brasileño erudito y arte brasileño popular” (doc. no. 1110759); “Artesanato e criação estética: tapeçaria de Genaro de Carvalho” (doc. no. 1110696); “Helio de Oliveira, o gravador de Pegis” (doc. no. 1110464); “O negro brasileiro nas artes plásticas” (doc. no. 1110431); “Primitivos, genuínos e arcaicos” (doc. no. 1110439); and “Tenreiro” (doc. no. 1306676).